This invention relates generally to the field of exercise devices, and more particularly to a variable resistance exercise device.
Many means of exercising exist for improving ones muscular tone and for producing an aerobic workout. In my U.S. Pat. No. 5,876,310 issued on Mar. 2, 1999, I describe an upper body exercise device that consists of a pair of variable resistance elements each incorporated into a hand grip. A retractable cable protrudes from one end of each hand grip and each cable is attached at its opposite end to a belt like device that the user wears around his or her mid section. The user then can swing his or her arms while walking or running and receive a resistance type workout for his or her upper body at the same time the lower body is being exercised by the walking or running activity. While the upper body exercise as described above provides a useful function, it is only embodied in conjunction with the associated belt so that it is essentially a portable workout device that affects only the upper body.
The user can not use the device to exercise parts of the lower body. Furthermore the user can not take advantage of the use of a stationary wall to create an opposition force to the exercise being done.